LONDON, April 21- Is aluminum the new steel for China's policy-makers? Threats to close capacity in the region around Beijing over the winter heating months had already propelled aluminum prices higher. They have just been given a further boost by news that Beijing has ordered the suspension of new capacity in the northwestern province of Xinjiang.

*Rebates, huge surplus fuelling China's steel exports. President Donald Trump's first shot across China's bow over its steel exports, escalating a years-long brawl over trade between the world's top two economies, may not pull up Beijing. Speaking in the U.S. capitol at IMF and World Bank meetings after Trump launched a trade probe against China and other...

LONDON, April 21- Global steel demand will grow more than previously forecast in 2017 due to a recovery in developed economies and accelerating growth in emerging and developing markets, especially Russia, Brazil and India, an industry body said on Friday. "We expect that Russia and Brazil will finally move out of their recessions. "However, China, which accounts...

TOKYO, April 21- Japanese steelmakers have bought coking coal from the United States, Canada and China to replace supply lost after a cyclone closed rail links in Australia, their biggest supplier, industry and trader sources said. In 2016, Japan bought about 71 percent of the 59.9 million tonnes of coking coal it consumed from Australia. "We've tapped supplies by...

SYDNEY, April 21- Zinc led a near across-the board rise in Shanghai base metals futures on Friday on the back of robust gains in overnight London trading and buoyant equity markets. The most-traded zinc contract on the Shanghai Futures Exchange climbed more than 3 percent to 21,860 yuan a tonne. Three-month zinc on the London Metal Exchange maintained...

*Asia ex- Japan stocks set for weekly loss; Nikkei higher. SINGAPORE, April 21- Asian stocks were set to end the week on a positive note, unscathed by a U.S. trade probe on Chinese steel exports, while the euro remained on edge ahead of Sunday's first round in a tight French presidential election after a shooting overnight in Paris that was claimed by Islamic State.

SEOUL, April 21- The South Korean government and steel industry should consider all measures including filing a complaint with the World Trade Organization in response to "deepening U.S. trade protectionism," a steel company official told Reuters. President Donald Trump on Thursday launched a trade probe against China and other exporters of cheap steel into...

*Japan happy with G20 sticking to FX commitment at Germany. *Japan told G20 shouldn't be complacent despite global pickup. Aso also said it was a "big achievement" for Japan that G20 finance leaders reconfirmed their commitment at last month's meeting in Germany that excessive currency volatility was undesirable, language Tokyo interprets as justifying...

Citing concerns about national security, Trump on Thursday launched a trade probe against China and other exporters of cheap steel into the U.S. market, raising the possibility of new tariffs. In Japan, shares in Nippon Steel rose 1.3 percent, after five weeks of steady losses, partly on speculation that any action by the U.S. would mostly target China which is...

SEOUL, April 21- South Korea's government and steel industry should consider all measures including filing a complaint with the World Trade Organization in response to "deepening U.S. trade protectionism", an industry source told Reuters on Friday. President Donald Trump on Thursday launched a trade probe against China and other exporters of cheap steel into...

Citing concerns about national security, Trump on Thursday launched a trade probe against China and other exporters of cheap steel into the U.S. market, raising the possibility of new tariffs. In Japan, shares in Nippon Steel rose 1.5 percent, after five weeks of steady losses, partly on speculation any action by the U.S. would mostly target China which is easily...

WASHINGTON, April 20- President Donald Trump on Thursday launched a trade probe against China and other exporters of cheap steel into the U.S. market, raising the possibility of new tariffs and sending shares of some U.S. steel makers up over 8 percent. The unusual step of launching an investigation comes as Trump is pressuring China to do more to rein in an...

up@ MEXICO CITY, April 20- Mexico's peso gained on Thursday after the country's central bank chief hinted at further interest rate hikes and the country's finance minister said he saw room for further gains in the currency. The peso added more than 0.3 percent after Mexican Central Bank chief Agustin Carstens hinted that the bank's cycle of monetary tightening...

WASHINGTON, April 20- President Donald Trump moved on Thursday against China and other exporters of cheap steel into the U.S. market, launching a federal investigation to determine whether foreign-made steel threatens U.S. steelmakers and national security. China is the largest national producer and makes far more steel than it consumes.

Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross cast the decision to initiate the probe as a response to Chinese exports of steel into the United States reaching the point where they now have 26 percent of the market. The unusual step of launching an investigation comes as Trump is pressuring China to do more to rein in an increasingly belligerent North Korea.

NEW YORK, April 20- U.S. steel stocks rallied on Thursday as U.S. Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross said the investigation is in response to Chinese exports of steel into the United States reaching the point where they now have 26 percent of the market. Trump signed a directive asking for a speedy probe under section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962 at a White...